Data from a seven-year study of more than 18,000 men suggest that Finasteride, a popular hair growth drug, may be used as a daily preventative therapy for men. The study saw at least a 25 – 30% reduced risk of getting prostate cancer. These results have prompted at least two major medical groups, The American society of Clinical Oncologists and The American Urology Association, to officially endorse the treatment.

“For men who are being screened for prostate cancer. For men who are concerned about it and for men who are over the age of fifty – it is a reasonable strategy for them to take Finasteride every day to help them decrease their chance of getting prostate cancer,” says Dr. Jay Bishoff of The Intermountain Medical Center. According to Bishoff, one of the side effects may be an increase in hair growth. Some other minor and rare side effects have been reported – but even if they occur, they are manageable and reversible.